1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to oral hygiene appliances and more particularly to devices for removing particles of food from interproximal spaces between teeth as well as other oral areas wherein food or debris may collect.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It has been established that food impaction has been a causative factor relating to both bone and periodontal diseases. In the past, personal oral hygiene has been limited to the use of relatively few cleansing devices. The most common personal oral hygiene device in use today is, of course, the common toothbrush. Toothbrushes preferably carry synthetic bristles and are used in conjunction with an abrasive agent such as toothpaste, tooth powder, baking soda and the like. Most people have encountered numerous occasions wherein tooth brushing has been insufficient to dislodge food particles caught in various pockets and interproximal spaces. Typical of such occurrences has been the lodgement of food particles in the mouth when eating such foods as corn on the cob, steak, roast beef, etc. In such instances, toothpicks have been the implements commonly resorted to. Unfortunately, toothpicks lacked the strength necessary to be wedged into tight interproximal spaces and often splintered. In addition, toothpicks were difficult to manipulate at the molar areas.
An alternate prior implement has been dental floss. Dental floss provided a greater cleansing effect than toothpicks and was considered to be safer than toothpicks. Dental floss has been effectively used for the cleansing of interproximal spaces between the teeth in the mesial area of the user's mouth. When food was lodged between the teeth in the distal area, between molars for example, the manipulation of dental floss for effective cleansing proved to be an arduous task.
An early attempt at providing a permanent, relatively strong, cleansing implement for the removal of debris from interproximal areas was illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 435,350. In this patent, a folding pocket knife construction was employed for a toothpick having a sharply pointed, yet relatively thick, probe or gaff which extended perpendicular to the axis of a shaft. The shaft was, in turn, pivotally secured to a handle.
It was readily apparent that this device did not achieve universal usage, possibly due to the fact that the broad area of the probe was too thick to permit the user to wedge the device in interproximal areas. Furthermore, the sharply pointed probe extended a considerable distance beyond the axis of the shaft. As such, it presented a potential safety hazard which could inadvertently impale the user's gingiva or buccal surfaces, especially when handled by inexperienced users who could not observe the placement and manipulation of the gaff.
Other devices have been suggested for use in dislodging food particles. Examples of such other devices include electrically operated pumps which provided a pulsating jet of liquid for impingement against the user's gums and interproximal spaces between teeth for the purpose of oral hygiene. Not only were these devices relatively expensive, but they often lacked the necessary pressure to dislodge tightly wedged particles. In addition, they lacked the ability to be carried about by the user. Thus, when people were eating away from home and it was necessary to remove lodged food particles, these devices were not available.